Oil and Gas at the Edge
Downtime is expensive for any manufacturer, but downtime in the oil and gas industry—needless to say—is extremely expensive. According to an MIT Sloan study, a single day of downtime for a liquefied natural gas (LNG)...

Is oil and gas finally embracing digital?
According to the consultants who whisper in the ears of oil and gas executives, the energy industry is on the brink, finally, of embracing the digital world. “Digital” has been a buzzword in the energy sector for years.

The rise of the robots?
It may not quite be that bad. But a wall won't keep them out, a new work permit scheme won't stop their freedom of movement. The rise of the robots could be next year's big story. Ever since the Luddites smashed their

SCADA’s role in optimising production
For years, SCADA systems have been employed wherever large amounts of information, from various sources and locations, need to be jointly processed – for example in supply network monitoring, water treatment......

What you need to know about SCADA
Let’s begin with the basis of the acronym: Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition. Basically, SCADA systems help electric co-ops quickly spot and solve power outages – this means safer, more reliable electricity for..

FBI Warns of Cyber Threat to Electric Grid
Three months after a Department of Homeland Security intelligence report downplayed the threat of a cyber attack against the U.S. electrical grid, DHS and the FBI began a nationwide program warning of the dangers faced

Enhanced Oil Recovery and Automation Converge
To combat low oil prices and smaller margins, North American oil and gas producers are moving toward digital oilfield applications to drive efficiencies with their existing wells. As a result, enhanced oil recovery.....

Drones To Test The Waters
AMPHIBIOUS drones are being developed to collect and test potentially dangerous water samples from difficult to access watercourses. Dan Squire founded Drones Over Water last year in South Australia and has developed....

Automation & Control Trends in 2016
This article expresses my thoughts on major automation and control trends for 2016 and beyond. These opinions are based on a wide range of inputs from users, suppliers and industry consultants, and from attending over...

Carbon dioxide from the air converted into methanol
The danger posed by rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide has seen many schemes proposed to remove a proportion it from the air. Rather than simply capture this greenhouse gas and bury it in the ground, though.....

6 gadgets that clean the world's oceans
In grade school, most children learn about the fragility of our ocean ecosystems. Despite this, the world's vast waters have become a de facto dumping ground for toxic chemicals, agricultural runoff and plastic trash.